Hale bows outOn Friday Strathmore-Brooks MLA Jason Hale announced he will not seek re-election.
“I will not seek re-election at this time,” Hale wrote to friends.
The Wildrose-turned PC MLA said his decision did not have anything to do with his crossing the floor in December.
“I support Premier (Jim) Prentice in his vision and the direction he is taking Alberta,” he said.
Once he is out of the political spotlight, Hale said he will shift his focus to his family but will not neglect the region.

Bandits, Mustangs to meet in playoffsThe Brooks Bandits will begin a best-of-five AJHL playoff series against the Calgary Mustangs at home Thursday night.
Game two will be played Friday in Brooks with game three scheduled for Sunday. A fourth game, if necessary would be played in Calgary Monday, March 9 and a fifth game on Wednesday, March 11.
The team’s opponent was not known until Saturday evening when the Calgary Canucks dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to the Okotoks Oilers.

Trick riding tandem with Team Canada We’ve got a couple of members of Team Canada right in our own backyard.
Piper Yule and Shelby Pierson from Cessford both ride for Team Canada in the Canadian Trick Riding Association.
Piper Yule is five years old. The youngster has been on a horse half her life.
“My favorite trick is the ‘hippodrome’ where you stand in the saddle,” she says.
Her mother Kelsey said some ground rules were established around horses long before trick riding came into the picture.